Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2015.16.2.723

Symptom Experiences and Coping Strategies among Multi-ethnic Solid Tumor Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in Malaysia  

Yahaya, Nor Aziyan (Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya)
Subramanian, Pathmawathi (Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya)
Bustam, Anita Zarina (Department of Clinical Oncology, University Malaya)
Taib, Nur Aishah (Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya)
Publication Information
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention / v.16, no.2, 2015 , pp. 723-730 More about this Journal
Abstract
Background: This study was performed to assess patient symptoms prevalence, frequency and severity, as well as distress and coping strategies used, and to identify the relationships between coping strategies and psychological and physical symptoms distress and demographic data of cancer patients. This cross-sectional descriptive study involved a total of 268 cancer patients with various types of cancer and chemotherapy identified in the oncology unit of an urban tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: Data were collected using questionnaires (demographic questionnaire, Medical characteristics, Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) and Brief COPE scales and analyzed for demographic, and disease-related variable effects on symptom prevalence, severity, distress and coping strategies. Results: Symptom prevalence was relatively high and ranged from 14.9% for swelling of arms and legs to 88.1% for lack of energy. This latter was the highest rated symptom in the study. The level of distress was found to be low in three domains. Problem-focused coping strategies were found to be more commonly employed compared to emotion-focused strategies, demonstrating significant associations with sex, age group, educational levels and race. However, there was a positive correlation between emotion-focused strategies and physical and psychological distress, indicating that patients would choose emotion-focused strategies when symptom distress increased. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that high symptom prevalence rates and coping strategies used render an improvement in current nursing management. Therefore development of symptoms management groups, encouraging the use of self-care diaries and enhancing the quality of psychooncology services provided are to be recommended.
Keywords
Symptoms; prevalence rates; cancer patients; chemotherapy; coping strategies;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 4  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Akin S, Can G, Aydiner A, et al (2010). Quality of life, symptom experience and distress of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Eur J Oncol Nurs, 14, 400-9.   DOI
2 Ben-Zur H, Gilbar O, Lev S (2001). Coping with breast cancer: patient, spouse, dyad models. Psychosom Med, 63, 32-9.   DOI
3 Butow P, Price M, Bell M, et al (2013). Quality of life, Distress and coping in women with ovarian cancer: a population based, longitudinal study. Psycho-oncology, 22, 44-5.
4 Cancer Facts & Figures (2014). Retrieved 6th November, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2014/
5 Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation. (2014). Retrieved 6th November, 2014, from http://carif.com.my/?page_id=3872
6 Carver CS (1997). You want to measure coping but your protocol's too long: consider the brief COPE. Int J Behav Med, 4, 92-100.   DOI
7 Chan C, Azman W, Mastura MY, et al (2014). Default of cancer treatment is associated with desire for psychological support. J Clin Oncol, 32, 5.   DOI
8 Cheng KKF, Eric MC, Wong MA, et al (2009). Measuring the Symptom Experience of Chinese Cancer Patients: A Validation of the Chinese Version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. J Pain Symptom Manage, 37, 44-57.   DOI
9 Currier DR (1984). Elements of research in physical therapy. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 166-67.
10 Dedert E, Lush E, Chagpar A, et al (2012). Stress, coping, and circadian disruption among women awaiting breast cancer surgery. Ann Behav Med, 44, 10-20.   DOI   ScienceOn
11 Dupuis L, Ethier M-C, Tomlinson D, et al (2012). A systematic review of symptom assessment scales in children with cancer. BMC Cancer, 12, 1-6.   DOI
12 Engvall G, Skolin I, Mattson E, et al (2011). Are nurses and physicians able to assess which strategies adolescents recently diagnosed with cancer use to cope with disease-and treatment-related distress? Support Care Cancer, 19, 605-11.   DOI
13 Francoeur RB (2005). The relationship of cancer symptoms clusters to depressive affect in the initial phase of palliative radiation. J Pain Symptom Manage, 29, 130-155.   DOI
14 Genc F, Tan M (2011). Symptoms of patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy and coping strategies. Cancer Nurs, 34, 503-9.   DOI
15 Gilbar O, Zusman A (2007). The correlation between coping strategies, doctor-patient/spouse relationships and psychological distress among women cancer patients and their spouses. Psychooncol, 16, 1010-18.   DOI
16 Gunusen NP, Inan FS, Ustun B (2013). Experiences of Turkish women with breast cancer during the treatment process and facilitating coping factors. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 14, 3143-49.   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Horney DJ, Smith HE, McGurk M, et al (2011). Associations between quality of life, coping styles, optimism, and anxiety and depression in pretreatment patients with head and neck cancer. Head Neck, 33, 65-71.   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Kim JE, Dodd MJ, Aouizerat BE, et al (2009). A Review of the prevalence and impact of multiple symptoms in oncology patients. J Pain Symptom Manage, 37, 715-36.   DOI   ScienceOn
19 Jacobsen PB, Donovan KA, Vadaparampil, ST, et al (2007). Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological and activity-based interventions for cancer-related fatigue. Health Psychol, 26, 660-7.   DOI
20 Kim HS, Yeom HA, Seo YS, et al (2002). Stress and coping strategies of patients with cancer: A Korean study. Cancer Nurs, 25, 425-31.   DOI
21 Kuo TT, Ma FC (2002). Symptom distresses and coping strategies in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Nurs, 25, 309-17.   DOI
22 Lazarus RS (1993). Coping theory and research: Past, present and future. Psychosom Med, 55, 234-47.   DOI
23 Lazarus RS, Folkman S (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York: Springer.
24 Miaskowski C, Aouizerat BE, Dodd M, et al (2007). Conceptual issues in symptom clusters research and their implications for quality-of-life assessment in patients with cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr, 37, 39-46.
25 Nail LM, Jones LS, Greene D (1991). Use and perceived efficacy of self-care activities in patient receiving chemotherapy. Oncol Nurs Forum, 18, 883-7.
26 Price M, Bell M, Sommeijer D, et al (2013). Physical Symptoms, coping styles and quality of life in recurrent ovarian cancer: a prospective population-based study over the last year of life. Gynecol Oncol, 130, 162-8.   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Portenoy RK, Thaler HT, Kornblith AB, et al (1994). Symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress in a cancer population. Qual Life Res, 3, 183-9.   DOI
28 Saniah AR, Zainal NZ (2010). Anxiety, Depression and coping strategies in breast cancer patients on chemotherapy. MJP Online Early, 2, 1-6.
29 Portenoy RK, Thaler HT, Kornblith AB, et al (1994). The Memorial symptom assessment scale: an instrument for the evaluation of symptom prevalence, characteristics and distress. Eur J Cancer, 30, 1326-36.   DOI
30 Roy S, Mallick S, Raza MW, et al (2014). Hematologic toxicity in patient undergoing radical anti-cancer therapy: a crosssectional aalysis of patients in an oncology ward in India. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 15, 3587-92.   DOI
31 Shoemaker LK, Estfan B, Induru R (2011). Symptom Management: An Important part of cancer care. Cleve Clin J Med, 78, 25-34.   DOI
32 Tan M (2007). Social Support and Coping in Turkish Patients with Cancer. Cancer Nurs, 30, 498-504.   DOI
33 Tuncay T, Isikhan V (2010). Psychological symptoms, illnessrelated concerns and characteristics of relatives of Turkish patients with cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 11,1659-67.
34 Tuncay T (2014). Coping and quality of life in Turkish women living with ovarian cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 15, 4005-12.   DOI
35 Walsh D, Donelly S, Rybicki L (2000). The symptoms of advanced cancer: Relationship to age, gender, and performance status in 1,000 patients. Support Care Cancer, 8, 175-9.   DOI
36 Wang X, Wang S-S, Peng R-J, et al (2012). Interaction of coping styles and psychological stress on anxious and depressive symptoms in chinese breast cancer patients. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 13, 1645-49.   DOI   ScienceOn
37 Weeks JC, Catalano PJ, Cronin A et al (2012). Patients' expectations about effects of chemotherapy for advanced cancer. N Engl J Med, 367, 1616-25.   DOI
38 Zabalegui A (1999). Coping strategies and psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum, 26, 1511-18.
39 Yoo GJ, Levine EG, Pasick R (2014). Breast cancer and coping among women of color: a systematic review of the literature. Support Care Cancer, 22, 811-24.   DOI   ScienceOn
40 Yusoff N, Low WY, Yip CH (2009). Reliability and validity of the Malay version of brief COPE scale: a study on Malaysian women treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Malays J Psych, 18, 27-35.
41 Zabalegui A, Sanchez S, Sanchez PD, et al (2005). Nursing and cancer support group. J Adv Nurs, 51, 369-81.   DOI
42 Zainal N, Hui K, Hang T, et al (2007). Prevalence of distress in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol, 3, 219-23.